Page 66 of A Veil of Gods and Kings

“I am not,” I said.

Delon scoffed, ignoring me. “Fine. But when we kick your asses, remember it was short a player and against a deity.”

Out beyond the field and past the gardens, the stables stood, peeking out behind trees. Horses in the pasture flicked their tails over their backs. “Why isn’t Val here?” I said.

Delon grabbed the discus. “Pip and Apollo’s sister have kept him busy.”

“Is that right?”

Delon shrugged. “You ready?” I nodded. He jutted his chin at the end of the field. “I’ll throw to start with.”

I jogged farther out on the grass. Delon pulled his arm back, his gaze trailing to the goal. Was he going to attempt to make it in one toss? His arm jerked forward, the discus whipping through the air. Len and Emrin swept towards it. But Apollo didn’t. His eyes tracked the disc, and he grinned as it curved, turning in my direction.

I jumped, the bronze banging my fingers. Before my feet hit the ground, Apollo plowed into me, knocking us both down. His chest banged against mine with a thump that knocked the breath from my lungs.

He smirked, the fall shifting his veil, his eyes golden and glowing, his body bathed in the tangerine wash of the setting sun. My heart stuttered. Our bodies rose and fell against each other with our breathing, the movements all out of sync and chaotic as his skin grazed along mine. He snatched the discus and jumped up, flinging it to Emrin, who grabbed it and thumped down towards their goal.

Apollo jogged back to join his team. But I remained frozen on the ground, my fingers sinking into the dirt. Delon strode up to me, releasing a breath. He thrusted his hand out and pulled me to my feet. “What the hell was that, Cyn?”

“Sorry.”

Emrin made it to their goal and crowed, kicking his arms up.

“‘I’m not out of shape,’ he says,” Delon grumbled, and he sauntered out towards the center of the field.

I dropped my arms, which shook.

Yeah, Cyn?

What the hell was that?

Maybe Apollo differed from how I’d initially judged him. And he was attractive. But what in the name of Zeus’ lovers was I fucking thinking? I wasn’t thinking, actually. That was the problem. My body was running away with itself. It’d been too long since I’d experienced any kind of physical release, and the stress of the last few weeks had me wound up. That was the entire issue.

“Cyn,” Delon huffed. “Are you playing?”

“Yeah.” I jogged over to him, but nerves still jangled through me.

An hour later the game wrapped up, evening coming out in full force, crickets waking and humming their music through the cooling air. Apollo shrugged his tunic back on, and it clung to his form, a bead of sweat trailing between his collarbones. The other three barked out laughter as they headed in the palace’s direction even as Delon peppered in grumbles over our loss.

“So,” I breathed the word, pulling my top on. “What did you think of discus?”

Apollo sighed, a happy sound, like he joined the crickets’ melody. “I enjoyed it.” He squinted at me as if he could see through me. “It surprises me that you like it though.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t take you for…” He trailed off and gestured at me as if that explained it.

The bench creaked as I dropped onto it. “Well now you have to tell me what you intended to say.”

He sat beside me and leaned onto his knees, his dark locks glistened with sweat, and they sparkled along stars that winked in the plum of the sky. “Perhaps...” He turned towards me, the sharp lines of his jaw tensing as he bit down, like he chewed on a thought. He gave his head a shake, his curls jumping. “Maybe I misjudged you some.”

“Some. I like how you qualified that.”

He laughed, his shoulders loosening.

And for a moment, we weren’t a god and a prince. Or men facing down the blade of their futures. Or people who held the fate of tens of thousands in our choices.

We were just Cyn and Apollo.